Consumer Grid Summit 2026

Australia’s power systems are changing faster than our rules and institutions can adapt. Without a unified future vision and aligned efforts, we face an expanding ‘transformation gap’.   

The RACE for 2030 Consumer Grid Summit will help close this gap by building capacity, developing a shared vision and proposing an integrated set of priority actions that enable Australia’s energy future.   

The Summit brings together policymakers, consumer advocates, engineers, regulators and innovators to reimagine Australia’s electricity system for 2035 and beyond. It will help build new individual and institutional capability for navigating the unprecedented scale of change we now face. It will prioritise the delivery of a balanced set of consumer and societal outcomes enabled by a secure and efficient system capable of meeting Australia’s 2050 commitments. 

A key aim of the Summit is to help build new individual and institutional capacity for navigating the strategic transition of Australia’s power systems. This will occur through a series of five online Grid Transformation Masterclasses which set the foundation for a 2-day intensive Summit.

Grid Transformation Masterclasses (Feb – Mar 2026)
The initiative will begin in mid-February 2026 with a series of five interactive online Grid Transformation Masterclasses (2-hours each). Over five consecutive weeks, an initial cohort of up to 100 current and emerging leaders will gain new insights and practical tools for exploring alternative futures, navigating uncertainty and advancing whole-system transition. The five Masterclass topics follow:

1. The current status of Australia’s grid transition
2. The need to collaboratively reimagine Australia’s grid
3. Futures thinking for informing Australia’s grid transition
4. Change mechanisms for accelerating Australia’s grid transition
5. Bringing it together in Three Horizons

The purpose of the Masterclasses is to help build a cohort of informed “transition leaders” who represent a diversity of perspectives yet share a common language and a set of navigational tools. This foundation will not only enrich the Summit discussions but also enable participants to lead transition initiatives within their own organisations and in the wider electricity sector.

2-Day Summit
Through participation in the Masterclasses, a diverse group of 30–35 stakeholders will be selected to convene for the intensive two-day Consumer Grid Summit event in late March 2026. Equipped with the concepts and tools gained through the Masterclasses, participants will work on specific topics in cross-disciplinary teams supported by subject matter experts. These working sessions will be interspersed with plenary discussions, where teams will debate their findings and work toward a shared vision for Australia’s power systems in general — and the National Electricity Market (NEM) in particular.

To ensure all possible pathways are considered, the Summit will emphasise open, imaginative exploration beyond the constraints of today’s thinking, with all options on the table. Through a dynamic, facilitated process, Summit participants will converge on a robust vision for a transformed grid in 2035 that balances consumer, societal and system priorities and can efficiently scale to meet Australia’s 2050 commitments.

Key outputs and enduring legacy
At its conclusion, the Summit will propose an integrated set of high-potential transition enablers – spanning governance, regulation, technology, market mechanisms, consumer protections and more – for further consideration by policy makers and the wider sector. Following a series of senior briefings, the final report will be released at a public launch in May 2026.

Recognising the scale of change Australia’s power sector must navigate over the next decade or more, this is anticipated as the start of an ongoing process advanced by RACE for 2030 which will continue to engage all participants in further dialogue and practical action to achieve the Summit vision.

How do I get involved?
Expressions of interest are now open for organisations and individuals wishing to join the Masterclasses by completing the online form. Please note that applications close Friday 6 February 2026.